Leisure Travel Rebounds as America is Back on the Move; Greater Number of Travelers Than Pre-9/11

News Editors/Lifestyle Editors/Business Editors/Travel Writers

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 18, 2004–Indicating a strengthening of the economy and pent up demand for leisure travel, Southern Californians are booking more trips and expressing more confidence in traveling, according to an analysis by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

In the first 4 1/2 months of 2004, the Auto Club’s AAA Travel booked 76.5 percent more cruises, 54.9 percent more tours and 62.3 percent more hotel rooms than the same period in 2000, the last full year before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The Auto Club owns 68 AAA Travel offices in Southern California.

“This growth in sales indicates that consumers are feeling more comfortable about traveling than at any other time in the post-9/11 period,” said Diana Meinhold, vice president of travel products and services for the Auto Club. “Travelers are also proving to be more discriminating, seeking what they consider to be safe locations and shopping for discounts.”

The three most popular destinations for Southern Californians in the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day, based on air ticket sales, are Orlando, Fla., Seattle and Maui, Hawaii. Arizona, Hawaii, San Diego and Las Vegas were listed as destinations offering the greatest value for summer travel.

The most popular foreign destinations this summer are London, Rome and Paris. International destinations thought to offer the greatest value were Cancun, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Costa Rica and the South Pacific.

The Auto Club has also recorded a higher interest in motoring trips. The number of Auto Club members requesting TripTiks(R), a personalized map to specific locations, is up 9.5 percent through April 2004 compared to the year before. Request for AAA road maps and other travel publications are up 3 percent.

Based on total sales to date, AAA Travel projects summer business to increase 19 percent, with international bookings rising 22 percent over last year. Because of travelers’ interest, some of the largest growth is projected for Mexico, Caribbean and European markets.

The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest AAA affiliate, has been serving members since 1900. Today, Auto Club members benefit by the organization’s roadside assistance, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, and automotive pricing, buying and financing programs. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club’s Web site at www.aaa.com.